Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ततस्तं प्रणिपत्योच्चैरवतीर्य तुरंगमात् । श्रमार्त्तः सलिले तस्मिन्प्रविवेश नृपोत्तमः

Transliteration

tatastaṃ praṇipatyoccairavatīrya turaṃgamāt | śramārttaḥ salile tasminpraviveśa nṛpottamaḥ

Translation

ତେବେ ସେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଗଭୀର ପ୍ରଣାମ କରି ଘୋଡ଼ାରୁ ଅବତରିଲା; ଶ୍ରମେ କ୍ଲାନ୍ତ ସେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ନରେଶ ସେହି ଜଳରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କଲା।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• tam: him
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन = Masculine Accusative Singular

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) = gerund/absolutive; अर्थ: प्रणिपत्य = having bowed down/prostrated

• uccaiḥ: aloud / loudly
• uccaiḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uccais (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थ: उच्चैः = loudly/highly

• avatīrya: having dismounted
• avatīrya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√tṝ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) = gerund; अर्थ: अवतीर्य = having descended/alighted

• turaṃgamāt: from the horse
• turaṃgamāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: turaṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन = Masculine Ablative Singular

• śrama-ārttaḥ: distressed with fatigue
• śrama-ārttaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrama (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/हेतु-भावः) = afflicted by fatigue; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine Nominative Singular (qualifying nṛpottamaḥ)

• salile: in the water
• salile: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन = Neuter Locative Singular

• tasmin: in that (water)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन = Locative Singular (referring to salila)

• praviveśa: entered
• praviveśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद) = Perfect; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन = 3rd person singular; अर्थ: entered

• nṛpa-uttamaḥ: the best king
• nṛpa-uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास = best of kings; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine Nominative Singular

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary king, having bowed respectfully, dismounts from his horse at the edge of a sacred pool/river and steps into the water, attendants and the horse waiting on the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra (implied)
• Bṛhadbala (implied)
• Sacred water-body

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approach to a tīrtha should be joined with humility—honoring sages and then seeking purification through the sacred waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred water-body (salila/jalāśaya) featured in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; its name is contextual beyond this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna is implied by entering the water; also indicated is the dharmic act of praṇipāta (bowing) to a muni before ritual action.